Loading a computer, MP3 player or phone with songs downloaded from iTunes was one of the easiest ways to access music over the last decade.

Apple Inc.’s iTunes Music Store has dominated the digital music market, selling more than 25 billion songs since launching in 2003. But a decade later, some competitors say digital music consumption is evolving beyond buying and downloading from virtual stores.

Subscription streaming services, including Spotify and Deezer, have become the fastest growth area in digital music, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the recording industry worldwide.

Just last year, global subscriber numbers were up 44 per cent, as people signed up for unlimited access to large music libraries for flat monthly fees.

“I don’t think you could overstate the importance of streaming here in the U.S.,” said David Bakula, senior vice president of Nielsen Entertainment, which tracks music sales.

The 10th anniversary of iTunes this month comes amidst speculation that Apple is working on licensing agreements that would allow the company to launch its own streaming service, to compete directly with popular online music services, including Pandora, which is not available in Canada. Apple declined to comment on a potential new service, which has been dubbed “iRadio” by some speculators.

If Apple chooses to delve into a subscription service, it will join players that have been carving out that part of the industry for years.

Bakula pegged the beginnings of the “all you can eat” model to Napster, which began illegally giving users access to all the network’s songs for free in 1999.

“People could go on and get whatever they wanted, consume it as they wanted to . . . the concept is very similar,” Bakula said. “You don’t really have any financial obligation.”

Desire for unlimited access, he said, combined with technological opportunity through increased smartphone and tablet use.

Justin Erdman, managing director of Deezer Canada, was working at MuchMusic and Universal Music Canada while iTunes was gaining traction years ago.

“I remember getting my iPod and loading 40 gigs of music on to it and that was the most exciting thing in the world,” Erdman said, crediting iTunes and other pioneers with tearing down barriers to get rights agreements put in place.

But he said the future is about subscription models, including Deezer, which launched in France in 2007 and charges $9.99 per month for unlimited access in Canada. “It made sense that, at a certain point, people were going to listen to music just as they pay for electricity or their water bill,” Erdman said.

Some analysts say “renting” music won’t replace owning physical CDs or digital downloads, at least for a while.

About 44 million Americans bought at least one digital song or album last year, said NPD Group senior vice president of industry analysis Russ Crupnick.

The number of downloads — predominately on iTunes and to a lesser extent on services including AmazonMP3 and Google Music — have been fairly stable for the last three years despite the growth in streaming, he said.

“The idea that (streaming) comes along and replaces digital music in the form of iTunes or AmazonMP3, that seems to be a popular thought. I’m not so sure I agree,” Crupnick said. “I do think it’s more of another evolution of how we’re going to listen to music.”

One third of U.S. consumers said it’s still important to own music, according to NPD. The proportion was even higher among users of free streaming services, who said they bought more based on discoveries made online.

Most agree that there’s still a lot of room for subscriptions to gain mainstream popularity, especially in countries such as Canada, where several services aren’t available yet.

As well as subscription models, there are better-known ad-supported streaming services, including YouTube and Vevo.

Broadly referred to as “access models,” revenue created from the services increased from 3 per cent of total industry revenues in 2007 to 15 per cent last year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

For now, some smaller labels are waiting to see how much streaming could change their business. Most existing agreements are for a base rate, with extra pay per play.

“Services like iTunes and a la carte downloads still make up the lion share of the digital business that we do,” said Ron Morse, owner of Toronto-based Wax Records. “That being said, 10 years ago when iTunes started . . . it was also insignificant.”

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